


growing pains (act your age)

by doofenshmirtzes



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Summer Romance, but make it something like girl next door au, this is a glorified high school au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:02:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25608595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doofenshmirtzes/pseuds/doofenshmirtzes
Summary: The intense berating of the summer sun overhead is becoming infuriating. Two, maybe three blocks ago, Adora had welcomed the warmth. It had felt like a blanket of comfort, draped lovingly across her shoulders by the universe itself urging her on with a hearty,go get her!Now, as sweat beads at her temples and the humidity makes fast work of disheveling her ponytail, she curses it and its incessant cruelty.Earlier, when Glimmer had said,“I always thought you two would end up together,”at the mention of Catra, Adora had frozen. Glimmer rolled her eyes at Adora’s hesitance, but what she mistook as unease was, in reality, shocked disbelief.+ + +on a hot summer day, old gossip resurfaces alongside buried feelings, and some good-hearted scheming leads Adora running ragged around town, trying to find answers.
Relationships: Adora & Bow & Catra & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 197





	growing pains (act your age)

**Author's Note:**

> anyone ever get incredibly zooted and unironically think phineas and ferb may be the best thing Disney's made? yeah? cool, same here. anyway, I wrote this silly little thing after watching "Act Your Age" and couldn't get the scenario out of my mind when thinking about catradora so... this is my contribution to the she-ra fluff bang (but im just about positive I tagged this wrong, im so sorry), a childhood neighbors au based on that one episode! also, a linear timeline? never heard of her. enjoy!

The intense berating of the summer sun overhead is becoming infuriating. Two, maybe three blocks ago, Adora had welcomed the warmth. It had felt like a blanket of comfort, draped lovingly across her shoulders by the universe itself urging her on with a hearty, _go get her!_

Now, as sweat beads at her temples and the humidity makes fast work of disheveling her ponytail, she curses it and its incessant cruelty. Wiping her brow with the back of her hand, Adora rounds the corner— the one with the public art that had nearly taken her eye out in the eighth grade— and picks up her pace as she sees the familiar doors of the restaurant. 

This is a path she’s taken countless times, the route short enough to make on foot, yet long enough that her anxiety would always set in before she reached the restaurant. 

She remembers a few years ago, riding her bike down the same street, her tire had caught on the sidewalk when she veered too close to the edge of the road. On normal terms, she was a decent rider. She never got into the whole BMX thing as Catra had, but she had prided herself in, at the very least, having the ability to ride _straight_. Those had not been normal circumstances, however. 

Catra had asked her for help restocking the café and she had jumped at the opportunity to help. Adora had crafted a picture in her head that looked alarmingly similar to some bad ‘80s video game; Catra throwing bags of beans out the back of a truck as she stood at the base, braced for impact, ready to catch and shift to drop and repeat. The image played in her mind humorously during the commute and Adora can’t say she was just a bit disappointed when she arrived to checklists and inventory counting. But it had turned out fine, the two of them had finished the work early and spent the rest of the day messing with the cutlery in the kitchen. 

In this particular moment, Adora knows there’s no loosening that tight ball of jitters in her chest. Sure, though she was used to them, she always knew in the back of her mind that everything would turn out okay. It always would with Catra. Between the two of them, they had cultivated a system of trust and safety, each part of which they fought tooth and claw for after they both hurt each other. 

It was paramount to Adora that she foster that relationship. But at this particular moment, Adora doesn’t know if everything will turn out okay and it does nothing but frighten her more. What she’s planning to do would rock the base of their very friendship, and yet… 

Adora cannot let herself think like that. She trusted her friends, after all. 

Earlier, when Glimmer had said, _“I always thought you two would end up together,”_ at the mention of Catra, Adora had frozen. Glimmer rolled her eyes at Adora’s hesitance. 

“Bow,” she had sprawled out on the floor of Adora’s bedroom, propped up against a box that she’d marked _WINTER COATS_ as she cooled herself off with a glass of lemonade. She, Adora and Bow had been packing for what felt like hours. Glimmer had claimed she would faint if she didn’t get a break to sit by the air conditioning unit and relax without basking in the summer heat _._ “tell Adora that everyone knows about her and Catra.”

Bow had dutifully raised his head from the task of going through Adora’s desk, wiping highlighter ink off his hand from an unfortunate mishap with a pencil sharpener, with a decisive nod, he confirms, “Adora, everyone knows about you and Catra.” 

Adora stumbled her way through a response and when she was met with identical, disbelieving stares when she tried to deny it, she contested, “Sure I’ve always kinda had a thing for her, but what’s it matter if she doesn’t feel the same way?” 

“You’re kidding, right?” Bow quirked a brow. His eyes flicked to Adora’s, then Glimmer’s. The two of them shared a small laugh and Bow fixed his gaze back to Adora. “Catra’s had a crush on you for _years_ , Adora. You can’t tell me you didn’t know about this.”

“Um…” It’s not like Adora didn’t _wish_ that were the case, but thinking of it brought up a grave of memories she promised she’d never dig up again— if to protect herself from heartbreak. 

Still, she couldn’t help but think of summers in Catra’s backyard, the palm of her hand digging into the handle of a shovel as she leaned against it, attention placed solely on Catra as she pointed to different flowers and herbs in the garden. 

_“You’re not paying attention.” It wasn’t the first time Catra had accused her of such a thing._

_“Sure I am,” She would defend._

_“You’re paying attention to_ me _not the flowers.”_

_Adora would respond with a sheepish smile, kicking her shovel off the ground and swinging it wide to rest up on her shoulder, “Sorry, sorry. I’m listening.”_

It was a charade they’d entertain countless times, but Adora never let herself dream that the meaning she put behind their glances was something intentional on _both_ their parts. 

She said as much, “No, I didn’t.”

“It was so _obvious_!” Glimmer claimed, the ice in her drink snapping against the glass as she threw her hands out in an exaggerated motion. “I mean, come on, she would come over _daily_ with the whole _‘hey, Adora’_ thing and just… do whatever you were doing!”

“Uh,” Bow had interrupted, his attention back to cleaning out Adora’s desk drawers. “More highlighters exploded.”

“Not to mention the way she was during the ball—”

“Those were definitely not _my_ fault—”

“I wasn’t supposed to say anything but Scorpia told Perfuma that Catra had practiced that dip quite a few times just for _that_ dance—”

“Should I just toss these erasers out too? Oh, gross, they’ve got ink all over—”

“Adora!” Glimmer had laughed, bringing everything else to a halt. “Really, you never noticed?” 

Adora’s head had been sent _reeling_ over the news. She was scared to ask if they were messing with her. She thought it would be awfully rude if they were. And to take it so far as _this_. “I don’t believe it.”

Bow and Glimmer shared a look. Then they fixed a knowing look towards Adora and nodded. She _hated_ when they did that. Adora groaned, her head in her hands. She felt Glimmer rub soothing circles on her back. 

“Why didn’t you guys ever say anything?” she had whined. 

Bow laughed, “Adora, this is about _Catra_ and _feelings…_ it’s not really something we _talk_ about.” 

He cleared his throat and Adora felt Glimmer pause behind her. She shrugs in agreement, then resumes taking slow sips of her drink. Funny how they had felt the need to _talk_ about it now, as Adora was spending her last summer at home. 

At Bow’s attempt to steer her back to the erasers, Adora shook her head, nearly fleeing from the room with a hasty, “I’m sorry, I’ve… I think I’ve got some thinking to do. I’m going on a walk, I’ll be back.” 

She had immediately stepped out of the room, calling up the restaurant she knew Catra had a shift at only to be met with her shift supervisor. 

“She’s out on break right now, but she’s leaving right at closing, something about getting to a college orientation.” 

“Orientation? Summer’s not even over.” 

Adora heard a heavy sigh over the phone, “Look, kid, I don’t know much about it but she got her last paycheck today and she’s been taken off the schedule, so _her_ summer’s over today. Or at least her job here is. Now, did you want to order for delivery or tak—”

Adora had taken one glance at the clock adorning the wall of her hallway before bolting down the stairs and out the door of her house, her sandals slapping the pavement with every step forward. She had fifteen minutes to get to the restaurant before it closed and knowing Catra, every minute had to count. She never stayed the full duration of her shift on a good day, much less a day where she would be leaving town. 

With the doors of the restaurant in view, Adora could nearly feel the tangible ball of anxiety that wound itself tight in her chest. It’s a cold reminder of her surroundings, effectively taking her out of her memory as another thought hits her. 

_What is she supposed to say?_

If Glimmer and Bow are to be believed, Adora had missed years of clues, hints, nudges that may have been as obvious as she tried to make her own feelings towards Catra. And none of it had come to fruition once in a lifetime of knowing each other. 

She recalls a particular moment during a class trip overseas, their destination a distant country where the hotel barkeep didn’t card and Adora made sure to take full advantage of that. She had helped Catra sneak an entire bottle of wine past their chaperones and into their shared room. It had been the first time they were _really_ alone since they had made up and Adora was high, bubbly off the feeling. 

They had said things that night, shared fears and dreams, but what Adora can remember most is the time after the bottle had been emptied. Head light from the wine, body heavy from the fatigue of traveling, she had fallen onto Catra’s bed instead of her own. When Catra tried to switch, Adora had only pulled her closer. She can still feel how Catra had hugged her back, her grasp desperate yet her hold loose enough to break away from. 

She remembers the drunken laughter of that night, the sheepish admissions made behind plastic cups used as makeshift wine glasses, but most of all, her memory brings her back to that embrace— gentle and cautious, full of something tentative they both refused to see in each other. 

Now, Adora sees. 

Her palms are sweaty when she wipes them on her shorts and she winces when she thinks of what she could possibly look like right now, hair stuck to the sweat on her forehead, lips chapped from lack of hydration. Still, she smiles when she thinks of Catra, nothing could douse her mood at the moment. 

Maybe she should’ve brought flowers, or perhaps some useful going-away present. Catra had always been a little more receptive to that stuff than she let on. She had a habit of acting unaffected but she hardly ever was. Not that Adora blamed her. She understood that feelings could be hard sometimes. 

Still, Adora can’t erase the look of Catra’s blush when Scorpia had asked her out on Valentine’s Day freshman year with a bouquet of red and black roses. Catra had looked _adorable_ , the flush painting her cheeks with a light tint that made Adora’s heart melt, so much so that Adora pushed down any feelings of… _whatever_ at the thought of Catra going on a date with someone. Looking back, Adora can’t help but feel foolish. She had known then, when Catra told her that she declined Scorpia’s offer, that she should say something. About her own feelings, that is. Words were never her forte, however. She never found the right ones. She never realized it hardly mattered so long as their intent shone through. 

Still, Adora stalls and she knows she’s stalling when she immediately picks up her phone when it rings in her pocket. 

_“Adora, where are you?”_

Glimmer’s voice flits through the speaker Adora’s got pressed to her ear. Adora catches her breath at a stoplight, breathing in lungfuls of air she _knows_ annoys Glimmer over the phone. One more block, then cross the street. Three minutes. 

“I’m outside Catra’s restaurant. I’m going to tell her how I feel.” 

Over the phone, she hears the unmistakable sound of Bow rushing to the speaker and a shrill shriek of, _“You’re what?”_

_“Wait, wait, wait, you just left us to do your packing—”_

_“I told you to keep an eye on her—”_

_“I’m totally going to mislabel your boxes for this—”_

_“Glimmer, this is going to_ ruin _the pl—”_

_“Nope! Enough of that. Okay!”_

Adora hears Bows muffled protests and Glimmer’s incessant hushing. She takes the time to try and articulate her thoughts, “You two… You guys were right. It was right there in front of me this entire time and I haven’t seen it! Or, rather, I’ve refused to believe what was there. I never thought Catra could feel the same way. I’m gonna tell her how _I_ feel because even if it’s too late, or even if she doesn’t feel the same, she deserves to know that what we were was… _special_ to me.” 

There’s silence on the other side of the line before Glimmer clears her throat and says in a calm tone, _“And you’re in front of the restaurant, you say?”_

Adora hums in the affirmative, taking off in a sprint when the signal indicates she’s clear to walk. “Just about.” 

_“Shit.”_

\+ + +

_“I’m sorry, I’ve… I think I’ve got some thinking to do. I’m going on a walk, I’ll be back.”_

_At Adora’s quick, awkward exit, Glimmer knew she made a mistake. She let Bow know as much through a groan and an angry mumble she tried to drown out with her lemonade. It was speech that would be incomprehensible to most people, but Bow had never been part of ‘most people.’_ _And thus, he was quite versatile in translating Glimmer’s many speeches. Groans and angry mumbles were nothing out of the ordinary._

_Bow stood from the desk chair, making his way over to sprawl on the bed beside Glimmer. Adora had stripped the mattress of its sheets first thing in the morning, before she and Bow had even arrived. Glimmer wished Adora had kept it._

_Adora’s dying air conditioning unit had nothing on the heat and ever-present humidity that seemed to fill her room. Glimmer had to place herself right in front of the unit, in its sputtering, wheezing glory, to be able to cool down in the slightest. Glimmer knew Adora beat the heat with a temperature-controlled mattress topper. Said mattress topper was packed away in a box in Adora’s living room and Glimmer was upstairs with Bow, just about melting on top of the bed in its stead._

_Bow had given her a pat on the head, “I think we_ both _went too far with the Catra talk.”_

_“There’s a reason we don’t talk about Catra and feelings. I just figured… well, they’ve both come a long way, haven’t they?” Glimmer sighed, and lifted her eyes to meet his._

_“We should’ve told her a long time ago, to be honest,” Bow shrugged, the admission coming to him just as everything had a habit of doing— easily. Glimmer had always admired that about him, had always loved taking note of what he was passionate about. Things had a_ flow _to them when it came to Bow, and that flow kept a home for honesty and friendship at its core. It shone through at that moment._

_“Maybe it’s not too late,” Glimmer conspired, a plan already hatching in the depths of her mind. Bow caught on to her tone immediately, his lips stretching into a grin._

_“Oh, I know that look, what is it? What do you have planned?” He drops a hand to her shoulder, the weight of it comforting and warm. It serves to ground her, to show he supports her unconditionally. See, as Bow had learned to read Glimmer, Glimmer had learned to read Bow. All that in a gesture is hard to make, but to Glimmer, it’s a second language._

_Excitement bubbled up in her when she knows she has his support, “Do you know if Perfuma is still with Scorpia?”_

\+ + + 

Catra has always had trouble leaving well enough alone. Adolescence was an adventure and she saw herself as nothing but a willing traveler. She had been an exploratory kid growing up, always finding herself in some situation or other with Adora. She’s gotten herself in enough trouble to know things are much more _fun_ when she devotes herself to them fully. Still, she had a fickle relationship with curiosity. It served to be both her strength and her greatest adversity when she was growing up. At least, people had always told her such. 

At seven, tiny pebbles digging into the flesh of her knee, her hand outstretched towards an ant hill, Adora’s bright voice cheering her on, she had been told, by a chaperone (on recess duty who had thankfully been paying attention when two young girls strayed away from the jungle gym) to, “Leave it alone.” 

From then on, she found it hard to get away from those words. Mostly because she harbored a deep, _seething_ hatred for them— so much so that the last time someone had told her to _“Leave it alone,”_ she had snapped at them. She hardly ever did that anymore. It’s… Well, it is something she’s working on. But damn if someone tells her what she can or what she can’t handle! That was for her to decide and it comes as a small comfort to her to know that, at least by now, her friends understand as much. 

It had taken a night, a run-in with the local constable, and a dyed horse for it to sink in— Catra would not leave most anything _alone_ unless she _wanted_ to. 

She had been seventeen, out with Scorpia, Adora, Bow, and Glimmer. At the time, it was an odd group, their ties still fresh and untethered. Now, however, those bonds were tight as sailor’s knots, something Catra can’t help but feel prideful at. 

There had been an effort on _all_ their parts to heal and to heal _together_ , yet more than just pulling her own weight, she stuck it out. She can’t say she would have done the same thing when she was younger. Looking back, Catra is glad she’d done it, though she’d always wondered how she may have gone about it differently.

That, however, is a bear she’d rather leave to slumber. Catra’s happy as she is, she has a _family_ in her friends, one that gives her love and greets her with kindness. And yet… It's moments like this, bored out of her mind, thoughts wandering as she hides out from her shift supervisor in the cooler to spend a few more minutes of her break alone, that she can’t help but entertain ideas of more. 

_More_ isn’t exactly something Catra has a lot of; ‘ _more’_ here used as a determiner, describing something in excess; something greater or in an additional amount. Growing up, she hardly had _enough_ , the notion of _more_ was something novel, the very concept of excessity previously foreign to her. 

She had slowly learned how to ask for _more,_ and was on her way to becoming convinced that she deserved it. It’s… Well, it is something she’s working on.

Catra’s ideas of _more_ always centered one thing, pulled out of the farthest reaches of her mind to surface with the same force of gravity’s constant tug; Adora. 

Catra sighs, going slack against the cool walls to run a hand through her short, choppy curls. The hairstyle was yet another result of _curiosity_. She had been messing with her certifiable mane of hair at the start of summer, playing around with it in an attempt to get it to quit sticking to the back of her neck. She never liked the excessive heat, and it was always more evident in Adora’s room, where she’d taken to spending her days. 

_“Can’t you get a fan going in here?” Catra had grumbled, arching closer to the sad little air conditioning wall plug-in. When that hadn’t worked, she crossed the room to stand behind Adora, who was sat at her desk, laptop open._

_Catra had leaned over, hands at Adora’s shoulders, not paying attention to the quick reply Adora gave about a fan just pushing hot air around or whatever. Catching her reflection in the screen of the laptop, Catra began to play with Adora’s hair, which was down from its usual ponytail._

_Adora made a comment about how she should put her own hair up for once, which quickly escalated to hair tugging and peels of laughter when Catra tried to duck away. Catra complained again about the heat and Adora rolled her eyes good-naturedly, “Just leave it or cut it all off.”_

_The next day, Catra did just that._  
  


Catra didn’t mind the cut, it is easier to deal with this way, though she dreads when she tries to start growing it out. Enough consultation with Glimmer about her own troubles with hair is enough to keep Catra from doing just that. Just… for now, at least. 

Catra recalls a night, years ago, shared between her and Adora and a hotel room overseas. Adora had pulled her close, close enough that Catra knew she wasn’t seeing things when she swears Adora’s attention doesn’t leave her lips, and sheepishly admitted that she loved Catra’s hair. 

Catra had blushed a deep red and Adora had pressed closer still, warm as ever. Gaze still on Catra’s lips, Adora had whispered a shy, _“So, have you had your first kiss?”_

If it were anyone else, Catra would have shoved them off, but it was _Adora_ , and Adora, bless her heart, had no idea how _creepy_ that sounded. Catra had laughed, a full-bodied action complete with throwing her head back, and the tension had been broken. Adora, aware, embarrassed, had smacked her with a pillow. 

_“You know what I meant!” Adora defended. Catra fought to contain her giggles next to her, her mind foggy from the bottle of wine she and Adora had snuck from the bar downstairs._

_“What’s it to you?” Catra had teased, kicking Adora’s foot under the sheets._

_Adora had shrugged, dismissive, but she had gotten a look of… hesitance in her eyes. Catra saw it often, when they were alone more times than not. They had missed a lot of each other in their falling out at the start of high school— an argument started by petty words that dug deeper than they meant let fester wounds that pained them for a long time. But they had healed. Separately, each coming to terms what they needed from_ themselves _to heal, and then, at last, together._

_Catra loved where they were but she knew Adora hated that she missed so much of Catra’s life. Catra berated herself daily for the same with Adora._

_“Sophomore year,” she had answered after a long pause. At Adora’s raised eyebrow, she grinned and addressed the silent question— who? “Lonnie.”_

_At that, Adora’s eyes had widened, brows shooting up. She was never one for schooling her reactions, though Catra suspected the alcohol was not working in her favor. Catra giggled under the sheets, she, too, had fallen victim to the vice— the other half of the wine bottle had to be drunk by_ someone _after all. Though she said it, Catra hesitated._

_She had kissed Lonnie after a particularly grueling day of basketball practice. There was passion, sure, but behind that, not much. Catra respected Lonnie and saw her as a friend and she was thankful they remained as such after the act. It was nothing more than a soothing of nerves and that’s what gives Catra pause._

_Should she have told Adora she still counts her first kiss as the one they shared? It was so long ago, lifetimes, when they were kids running around the cul-de-sac, stealing bikes from the children who left them out on their front lawn. They had seen two teenagers making out in the corner store and Catra had been confused._

_She and Adora had ridden their stolen bikes to Kyle’s where they told him what they saw and he explained that a kiss was for people you_ loved _. Catra had exclaimed and protested, adamant in her anti-kissing stance. After all, she was a kid, what else did she know?_

_Though when they returned the bikes later that night, Adora, before running off to home, had pulled Catra’s head close and gave her a peck on the lips._

_Adora had smiled bright afterward and waved behind her as she took off._

It’s a moment that plays sweetly in Catra’s memory and she wanted to share it then, with Adora in her bed after they had been apart for so long, but the words were caught in her throat. She didn’t think she could feign indifference if Adora claimed she didn’t remember, not with something Catra kept so close and bare to her heart. 

_“Really? Not Scorpia?” Adora’s voice had a curious edge to it._

_Catra hummed, the alcohol making honesty much easier, “No.”_

The ring of the restaurant’s main line shakes her from thinking of that night and Catra presses a chilled hand to her face, groaning as she realizes her break is just about over. No matter, it’s her last day here either way. A quick glance at her phone… perfect. Half an hour until the end of her shift. 

She makes her way out from the backroom, tying an apron around her waist, but neglecting to pick up a notepad when she sees a group of familiar faces at a booth in her section. She’d have no need to take their order as it seems they had already been served.

Either way, Catra hardly got any work done when Scorpia and Entrapta came over to surprise her, she’ll get even less accomplished seeing as Perfuma seems to have tagged along with them. 

An easy grin spreads across her face as she approaches her friends, teasing, “Come to eat out the inventory?”

Scorpia greets her with her usual enthusiasm, smile wide and excited as she points out the obvious with a loud, “Hey! Catra’s here!”

Next to her, Perfuma’s texting on her phone, fingers flying over the screen comically. Nothing from her, and then, “Sorry!”

Perfuma shifts as she puts her phone face-down on the table and Entrapta lets out a small noise of displeasure when the action shifts her plate of tiny pancakes. Seeing as _those_ are not on the menu, Catra suspects they were, in reality, normal-sized pancakes that Entraptra has messed with. 

“I was just texting Glimmer,” Perfuma explains. The restaurant around them is desolate, empty save for a few customers finishing up their meal, but Catra remains wary of the time even as she takes a seat by Entrapta and reaches over Scorpia’s plate to grab a french fry. She would hate to be caught up in a sudden rush at the very end of her last shift. “She’s with Bow at _Adora’s.”_

Catra scowls when she feels Perfuma nudge her shin under the table, “Gross, why’d you say it like that?”

Perfuma shrugs, “I’m just saying, it’s a shame the two of you never got together.”

Catra groans. For the most part, she preferred to keep this bear aslumber and decidedly _un-_ poked, but she lived in the unfortunate reality where _everyone_ had seen her and Adora dance at senior prom and, well. Rumors spread, even after they had all graduated. Eighteen years of keeping her feelings under wraps and she had decided they were completely _worth it_ if it meant getting away from the pestering. 

Scorpia pipes up from beside Perfuma, “You two looked so great together during the dance!”

And there they go with that stupid dance again…

Scorpia coos at her blush, “Remember when you had Entrapta and I practice the dip and—”

“Yes! I remember!” Catra jumps at the reminder, and at the chance to redirect the conversation, embarrassment skyrocketing. Her so-called friends merely laughed at her red cheeks and averted eyes. 

“You don’t have to be embarrassed, Catra,” Perfuma assures, her voice as sweet and comforting as honey. “It’s just… I mean, it was obvious you both loved each other. I think we were all rooting for the two of you to happen at one point.”

Catra mumbles under her breath, sinking deeper into the cushion of the booth. 

“So…” Perfuma hesitates. “Why _didn’t_ it?”

It was a loaded question but one that Catra knew the answer to— it was a mantra she had told herself over and over again every time she had unwillingly dug up that same, familiar old grave. And it all came down to _more._

Catra had known for a long time that she is in love with Adora, but she’s also come to know herself very well. Well enough to understand that _more_ isn’t something she’s used to and therefore, doesn’t know how to deal with. Her love for Adora is wonderful, pure, and beautiful— and it had stayed that way through so much abuse— she couldn’t have herself tainting it just as she did with any bit of beauty she got her hands on. Her mind had twisted that reason around for years and to her surprise, she finds herself exhausted of it.

Her mind stutters, correcting itself through slow reassurances. It isn’t like that anymore, _Catra_ isn’t like that anymore and looking back, she’s disappointed at the fact that she hadn’t tried. 

She thinks of—

—nights at the back of a movie theater, sharing salted, but _not_ buttered, popcorn with Adora, who hated getting the grease on her fingers. To compromise, she had made Adora buy her M&Ms. Catra had always hated this theater because their seats were practically falling apart, but Adora loved it because it still had the building’s original architecture, so Catra loved… Hm, well. She tolerated it. Besides, she had always been too engrossed in the film to really pay attention, something Adora would often tease her about when Catra shushed her reactions to the movie. 

—days spent skating down Main Street, her knees and elbows protected behind the pads Adora had strapped onto her, ever a stickler for safety. Still, Catra recalls a day that landed both of them in the E.R. after a nasty spill on the curb that no amount of headgear could have protected them from. Adora had lost a tooth and nearly an eye after colliding with the unconventionally-placed public art piece at the corner of the street.

—hot summer dusks spent lounging just outside Glimmer’s pool. Adora, knowing her aversion to water, would keep her company with card games just outside the lip of the deep end. Glimmer and Bow would toss water toys back and forth, just for the fun of hitting each other with giant, inflatable sharks and the like. 

Catra thinks of those moments and every moment in between that she could have taken to tell Adora how she felt. In hindsight, the years seem misspent, time wasted idly living in a lie, never being able to be unhindered around Adora in fear she would be clued in to the secret. The secret which now seems like nothing more than a childish repression of feelings on Catra’s part.

She shrugs at Perfuma’s question, and admits in a whisper, “I never thought she could possibly want it, too.” 

Beside her, Entrapta nudges her arm, catching her attention to give her a comforting smile. Scorpia reaches over to pat her hand where it’s resting on their table. 

Perfuma’s phone goes off and the next time she looks up from it, Perfuma has got a mischievous smile on, “What if she still did?” 

Just like that, she’s back in the thick of her greatest high school crush, this time, giving it her all as she skips the rest of her shift (what are they going to do? Fire her?), getting into her car and mentally hyping herself up to drive to Adora’s house. 

\+ + +

_“She’s going to realize Catra’s not there.”_

_“Well_ obviously, _but how was I supposed to know Adora was just gonna… up and walk out the door? In the middle of having invited us over!” Glimmer throws her hands up in the air, frustrated. If she was being honest with herself, she’d admit that she probably should’ve accounted for that. If there was anything predictable about Adora, it’s how she acts unpredictably. It is absolutely infuriating, but Glimmer loves her all the same. “It’s fine, it’s whatever.”_

_Still, she picks up a marker, labeling a box of books, ‘pillows.’ If Adora was going to inconvenience her, then…_

_Her phone buzzes in her hand, flashing Adora’s contact. Bow crowds her as she pulls up a text that simply reads: “Catra gone :(”_

_“Hm… Think she figured it out.” Bow comments, then frowns. “Oh no, she probably thinks she’s just missed Catra.”_

_“It’s fine, everything’s okay,” Glimmer lies, trying more than anything to reassure herself that her entire plan was not falling apart before it even began, “Just as long as Catra’s not here yet—”_

_Faintly, Glimmer registers the honk of a car horn just outside Adora’s window. She shares a look with Bow and at that moment, she vows to never trust herself with scheduling anything ever again. Or, she was going to familiarize herself with keeping an agenda at the very least._

_Filtering in slightly through the closed window is Catra’s unmistakable voice, excitedly calling, “Adora!”_

\+ + + 

Adora makes it back to her house, this time taking the route that runs the long way— Glimmer had called her in a panic and explained the whole misunderstanding— as much as she knows, she has time. Anxiety racks her every step on the walk back, but she refuses to let it paralyze her any longer. Catra had come back. Catra had come to see _her._

She isn’t surprised to see Catra and Glimmer arguing on her front lawn when she rounds the corner to turn onto her street. Glimmer looks about ready to tear her hair out while Catra peers down at her cooly over a bouquet of flowers. Bow’s laughing just next to them so Adora knows it’s nothing to sound alarm bells for and in the peace that gives her mind, she makes the connection that the flowers are probably for _her_ and blushes. 

Still, she’s proud to note that she’s the one causing Catra to flush when she steps up behind the group with a sheepish, “Hey, Catra.” 

They all turn to face her in a motion that’s comical enough to make her smile and when a hush falls over the group, Adora points to the flowers in Catra’s fist, “Those for me?” 

“Well, they’re not for Sparkles,” she replies with a roll of her eyes, using the bouquet to give Glimmer’s head a little bonk. 

Bow is quick to subdue Glimmer as she takes an exaggerated forward, affronted by Catra’s actions. 

“Yeah, we’ll just be over there…” He drags Glimmer away by a slight tug on her elbow and calls out, “And don’t worry! Totally not listening at all!” 

The silence left behind is not unwelcome and Adora takes her time to bask in it before walking past Catra to sit cross-legged on her porch, patting the space next to her. Catra follows, leaning back on her hands and stretching her legs out in front of her. 

“I’ve been running all over town looking for you,” she admits. 

Catra looks up at her from her relaxed lounge, an easy, open expression on her face, “So I’ve heard.”

“You’re off to school, then?” 

“What?” Catra quirks a brow at her. Understanding relaxes her posture when Adora explains the phone call with the restaurant earlier. “It’s not actually for… well, it’s… debate— It’s for debate camp. A two-week program before the quarter starts.”

“Oh, so you’re leaving for two weeks?” Relief floods through Adora like a cold tide, she had imagined the worst from a series of bad communication. 

Catra nods, “Then I’ve got the rest of the summer off since I got my last paycheck.” 

“I feel like I haven’t seen you all summer.”

“Your hair’s grown.”

At that, Adora laughs, turning and allowing herself to really study Catra. Her hair _is_ longer. Or maybe it’s just curlier, loose from the lack of gel Adora had seen her go through tubes of at the beginning of the summer. Her freckles are darker, too, kissed by the sun that now shone down on them with golden light. She breathed out a sigh and rolled her neck, and Adora watched the motion, rapt. 

“You know, Glimmer said the funniest thing today.”

“Oh yeah?”

“She said you had a crush on me for a while.”

Adora had expected Catra to freeze up and try to deny it. She could see it clearly; Catra would brush off the accusation with a laugh and they would say their goodbyes with no ill feelings. She would shove at Catra’s shoulder and try to get at her while Catra would swipe at her hair, go for her ponytail. It’s a charade they’re entertained countless times before, and Adora is already preparing herself to go through the motions when Catra leans in. 

It just about knocks the breath out of her when Catra doesn’t deny it. “I did. I thought I was being _so_ obvious.”

“Really? I had no idea.” And really, Adora wants to find her younger self, take her by the shoulders and try to shake some sense to her for not seeing it. She mourns the misspent years. 

“How would that make you feel?”

“How would what make me feel?”

“If I _do_ have a crush on you.”

“Still?” Adora’s eyes went wide. 

“Still.” Any pretense of nonchalance is gone with her, and Adora finds herself staring at a Catra that is unhindered, without artifice, eyes scared as they stare into her own. It warms her heart that she trusts Adora with such a thing. 

Now, Adora’s grinning, “Really?”

Catra’s grinning too, pushing up off her elbows as she comes close to Adora, “You’re such an idiot.”

Then, Catra pulls her close, a hand coming up to mess with Adora’s ponytail, as she kisses her. Adora clutches at her in return, one hand at Catra’s waist, the other on her jaw, and Adora melts into it. Catra’s lips, warm and soft, press ardently against hers, fingers tangling in her hair tie. In a devastatingly blissful moment, Adora pulls Catra closer, and it makes her skin tingle. Years, decades, seconds, who cares, pass, and it’s over all too soon. 

Catra stares at her in awe and Adora doesn’t stop the laugh that bubbles from her. In a breathless, giddy voice, “Wow.”

Catra groans, though she’s smiling when she rests her forehead against Adora’s. Her eyes are closed. Adora likes the view; she looks peaceful. “Don’t ruin it.”

“So,” Adora starts. “Debate camp sounds pretty damn boring.”

Catra laughs and Adora feels high. “It really, really does.”

“I’ll see you in two weeks then?”

Catra presses another kiss to her lips, soft and gentle, and pulls away with a nod. “Two weeks.”

**Author's Note:**

> and that's that
> 
> this was really fun, quick, and nostalgia-inducing to write! im not mad at it. thanks for reading, tell me what you thought of it!


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